My Name Is Luca
by blackend
Summary: Chase meets someone in his building with a similar background. Mentions of Drugs and Child Abuse. Something completely diffrent for me. Character study/songfic/story. Try it. One shot!


**My Name Is Luca**

**A/N: This is completely different from anything I've ever done before. Let me know what you think. All of the lyrics are italicized. Yes, I know that Luca is supposed to be a boy but I made Luca a girl in this story. May all child abuse end. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The song, Luca belongs to Suzanne Vega and whoever produced it. House characters are property of David Shore. **

--

It was loud, noise; the air smelled of beer and smoke. That was not where she wanted to be. She grabbed her bag. She needed to escape and the laundry room was the perfect place. It was late. No one came down there at that time of night.

The teen girl sat on one of the washers and took her sketchbook out of her bag along with some charcoal pencils. She looked at the blank page in front of her and started to sketch. This was her escape. It was an escape into a world far more wonderful than her own was.

Robert Chase woke up and looked around. She was gone. It wasn't as if he expected Cameron to be there. She never was there when he woke up. Chase knew why he woke up now. Whoever was in the apartment above his definitely knew how to throw a loud party. He tried to roll over and go back to sleep. After ten minutes of trying to get back to sleep, with no success, he got up. He might as well do something.

After pulling on a t-shirt, sweat pants, socks, and shoes he grabbed the basket he had of dirty clothes. He had been meaning to do laundry for a while, but he was being distracted by cases for House or with Cameron and their midnight workouts. He had too many distractions. No wonder he was so tired lately.

Chase opened the door to the laundry room to see a teen sitting on a washing machine sketching. "Well, that is odd."He thought he continued to watch the teen until she noticed him.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know that people needed to do laundry at this time. I'll go." The girl said as she gathered up her stuff.

"No, stay. I'm sorry I disturbed you." The girl stopped and looked at him. Her blue eyes penetrated him. "Please continue."

The girl watched him closely as he loaded the washing machine. "I know you." She finally said.

"Really?" Chase asked. He worked such crazy hours that he did not know anyone in the building, but the girl did look familiar. "How do you know me?"

The girl smiled and slightly giggled. "You're the pink guy."

Chase nodded his head and laughed. "Yeah, I am." Chase had needed to wash a red t-shirt and he accidentally converted all of his white clothes to pink. He naturally gave all of his new pink clothes away.

"I see you got rid of all you pink clothes, good choice. It's not your color."

"Thanks." He offered a hand. She studied him for a few moments as if she was trying to figure out what game he was playing. Then she took his hand. "Robert Chase, first floor."

"_My name is Luca. I live on the second floor."_ The girl said as she shook his hand.

"Luca, nice name. Where did you parents get that from?"

"Mom always wanted a boy, but I turned out to be a girl. So, instead of Lucas mom named me Luca."

"Second floor, there's quiet a party up there. Is that why you are hanging out down here?"

"Yeah, I'm not too much of a party person. You?"

"It depends on who you ask and believe." Chase said. He went to a few parties, but not as many as everyone thought he did. He was not that much a party animal.

Luca nodded her head. Rumors she knew those oh so well. Living with her family, rumors were part of the package along with other things. "I think _I live upstairs from you_." Luca said.

"I doubt that. The party is coming from the apartment above mine."

"That's my apartment." Luca said. She didn't look at him.

"Have I seen you around before?" Chase said changing the subject. He could tell the girl was ashamed of her family. He was like that once, with his mom and dad.

"_Yes, you've probably seen me before." _Luca said.

It was true. Chase had seen the girl around. She was usually heading off to school in the morning as he was heading off to work. Luca was a sad girl her eyes conveyed it all. She was lanky teenager, but pretty. She had short black hair to match her dark blue eyes and pale white skin.

The music from upstairs was growing louder. Luca slowly backed up against one of the washers. She hated the loud sounds. Chase noticed how Luca became tenser by the moment. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"It's getting loud up there." Luca nodded her head. "I wonder what's going on up there." Chase said absent-mindedly.

They talked until the music died down. Luca recognized that meant that people were starting to pass out. "I should go. It was nice talking to you."

"Same here." Chase said. He watched as Luca gathered up her stuff and started to walk towards the door. "Are you going to be okay?"

Luca looked at Chase her eyes studying him. _"_I'll be fine. _If you hear something late at night. Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight. Just don't ask me what it was."_

As Chase was walking into his apartment, he heard something that sounded like a slap. He looked up at the ceiling. He hoped that muffled sound was not Luca sobbing into her pillow.

Upstairs, Luca buried her reddened face in her pillow. She knew that there was going to be a bruise there tomorrow. The tears were streaming down her face now. "_Just don't ask me what it was. Just don't ask me what it was."_ She muttered.

--

Chase didn't see Luca for the next couple of days. When he finally saw her again, Luca was on sitting the steps of the building sketching. He noticed that she had a cast on her other wrist. "Hey, what happened to you?"

"I fell off a skateboard._ I think it's because I'm clumsy. _I've never had a good sense of balance."

"Skateboarding, I've never been good at that either."

Luca laughed. "Sorry, just the mental image of you on a skateboard is funny."

An elderly woman walking into the apartment looked at Luca. "Hi Luca."

"Oh, hi Mrs. Bee."

"How is your wrist?"

"Good. It's not hurting as much."

"How's your mom doing?"

"Better. She still is not feeling great though. _I try not to talk too loud._"

Mrs. Bee looked sad for Luca. "When you have some free time later, come on over dear. I'll make some cake and tea for us."

"Okay. I'll come over later." Luca said.

"Good. I'll see you later." Mrs. Bee said before heading upstairs to her apartment.

"She's a nice lady." Luca said. She was avoiding talking about her family.

Chase looked at the sketchbook that Luca was holding. "May I?" Luca was hesitant, but eventually handed him the sketchbook. Chase flipped it open and looked at it. "Wow these are great." One of Luca's sketches caught Chase's attention. "Why is this one so dark?"

"_Maybe it's because I'm crazy."_ Chase gave her that come on look. "I was having a bad day. I needed to vent."

"Your stuff is great." Chase said. He looked up when Luca didn't say anything.

"_I try not to act to proud."_ Chase nodded his head. He was like as a teen. If he got a good grade on a paper he didn't show it off. Chase knew he was still very shy about his life and didn't take credit for many things. Some habits never died. "Are you okay?" Luca asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Be careful with your wrist. Don't do anything that could cause you to hurt yourself more."

"I won't." As Chase was walking up the stairs, he thought he heard Luca mutter. "It's not like I did it anyways_._"

Chase looked at Luca as she sat on the bottom steps of the staircase. He wanted to reach out to her, but he wouldn't, he couldn't, could he? Could he put himself out there again and try to rescue someone from a ditch again? Last time he tried to do that everything went wrong. His mom ended up drinking herself to death. It was a miracle that Chase was so normal and did not turn out to be like House.

--

Luca kept her promise and went to Mrs. Bee's apartment later that afternoon. "I'm so glad that you stopped by Luca. Have another piece of cake dear."

"Honestly, I've already had too much."

"Well, why don't you have another glass of milk with your cake." Mrs. Bee said as she put a glass of milk down on the table. It was if Mrs. Bee hadn't even heard Luca. "It will help make your bones stronger."

"Sure." Luca said as she took the glass of milk.

"How are you doing?" Mrs. Bee asked. She knew the truth about Luca's mother. She knew how Luca's mother lived on drugs and booze. She knew that all of Luca's bruises and hurt bones weren't from here falling.

"I'm fine." Luca said even though it wasn't true.

"Honey, you don't need to lie to me."

"_They only hit you until you cry and after that you don't ask why. You just don't argue anymore. You just don't argue anymore." _Mrs. Bee reached out her hand out towards Luca. Luca instinctively backed away. She was scared. Her eyes softened and gave Mrs. Bee a hug. "I'm sorry." Luca started to cry as Mrs. Bee held her. _"You just don't argue anymore."_ Luca sobbed.

"I know…" Mrs. Bee stroked Luca's hair as the girl held onto her for dear life. "Hush…."

--

_A month later…_ Luca sat in the corner of the basement crying. She wanted to forget about the pain she was in. She didn't even notice the person sitting down next to her. "Are you okay?" Chase asked.

"_Yes, I think I'm OK."_ Luca said as she wiped the tears from her face.

"What happened?" Chase asked looking at Luca's face. There was a bruise forming on her cheek.

"_I walked into the door again." Well, if you ask me, that what I'll say._ That's what she was told to say and always did.

"I doubt that." Chase said.

"_And it's not your business anyway."_ Luca said with hostility.

Chas recognized hostility. Hostility was the easiest reaction. "You're right, it's not my business. Then again, I'm not the one crying in a basement." Luca looked as if he had just slapped her in the face. "Luca, look I'm sorry. I didn't mean that…"

"_I guess I'd like to be alone."_ Luca said harshly.

Chase stood up. "If you want to talk, I'll be in my apartment. I'm sorry, but I've been here before." He went up to his apartment where he felt miserable. He had been sitting on the couch for awhile when there was a knock on the door. He got up and went to the door. There was Luca.

"I just want to be someone…_with nothing broken, nothing thrown._"

"I know." Chase never hugged people. He only hugged House because he thought he was dying of cancer. Hugging House was a way for Chase to replace him never saying good-bye to his dad. Then why was he hugging Luca? The answer was simple: he used to be just like her.

"_Just don't ask me how I am. Just don't ask me how I am."_

"I won't." Chase lead Luca into the apartment and over to the couch. She was still crying, so he held her. "For my mum, it started with a few drinks. She would go out with her friends and come home wasted." He took a deep breath. He never talked about his mom. "By the time I was fifteen my dad had enough, he left. My mum only got worse with the drinking and mood swings. She used to hit me." Luca's breath hitched. Chase tightened his grip on her. "She drank herself to death, burying herself in a bottle. I know it doesn't mean anything now, but it's going to get better."

"You promise that it will get better."

"Yes, I promise." He rubbed Luca's back. "It does get better."

"Did you ever wish you were someone else?"

"I used to, but I don't anymore. You stop after awhile. Do you want anything to drink or eat?"

"No." Chase opened his mouth, but Luca spoke before he could ask the question. _"Just don't ask me how I am."_

"I'm not going to. Just close your eyes and go to sleep."

Within the hour, Luca was asleep. Her head was resting on Chase's chest. He didn't want to move for the risk of waking Luca, but he was uncomfortable. Without waking Luca, eventually he moved off the couch. Chase watched the girl as she slept. He wished there was a way for him to help her more. Chase couldn't tell you why, but he kissed Luca on the forehead as she slept.

--

The next morning, when Chase woke up, Luca was gone. He saw that there was a note on the table.

Robert,

_My name is Luca. I live on the second floor. I live upstairs from you. Yes, I think you've seen me before._

_If you hear something late at night, some kind of trouble, some kind of fight. Just don't ask me what it was. Just don't ask me what it was. Just don't ask me what it was._

_They only hit until you cry and after that you don't ask why. You just don't argue anymore. You just don't argue anymore. You just don't argue anymore._

Thanks for everything. I have a feeling that you are right about things getting better. At least, I hope you are right.

Luca

**The End **


End file.
